YOur constant friendship ingages me to give you some account of our proceedings of late in this Province , we have kept the field ever since Midsommer , in pursuit of the Rebells , and not being able to draw them to an incounter , which my Lord Prsident designed , we took divers Castles in the County of Lymrick , and his Lordship placed competent Wards in two of them , viz. Ballingarry and Castlematras , and destroyed the rest

Soone after this , his Lordship withdrew into the County of Corke , in expectation to ingage the Rebells Army before them , which hapned accordingly , for that the Rebells laid seidge to Ballingary Whereupon my Lord President marchcd with all possible speed to the reliefe of the place , but he that had the command of the Castle gave it up upon a summons , within the time prefixed by my Lord , by his letter for his reliefe , being no way necessitated thereunto , for which he is now in question . Being disappointed of our engagement expected with the Army of the Rebels , the L. President march'd towards those parts where he was most like to find them . He first met with an entire company commanded by Capt . Den , of whom he slew 23. and took the Captaine , Lievtenant , Ensigne , and 27. common Soldiers Prisoners , with 80. ●oare Armes .

From hence his Lordship ordered his march towards the Rebells , neer the River of Shanon , upon the River of Moylkerne , 4. or 5. miles above Lymrick , where with 1300. Horse , and 2000. foot , expecting the rest of their Army , the Rebells intended to secure themselves from fighting with us , untill they could get an advantage , that Country being a very fast Country by reason of great Rivers , Woods and , Bogs .

After 3. houres dispute we gained the passe with Gods assistance , on the third day of this month , and having beaten of and routed their forces , pursued them as farre as we could , kild 100. upon the place , wounded many , whereof some are since dead , took 200. serviceable Horses , their Riders forsaking them , and kild and wounded many others , who at the first pressed hard upon our foot , here we got 200. C●wes about the Lord Bourck of Castleconels , and Sir Edmond Walshes . That night we marched to New Castle , a Garrison of the Rebells , within half a mile of the City of Lymrick , which was surrendred upon summons , and quarter only for their lives , upon relation of the defeat given to their Army . And here we rested the remainder of that night , Some of our troops pursued the Rebells over the River of Shanon , ( which is very seldome passable thereabouts ) into the County of Clare or Thomond , , whither most of the Cattle about Lymrick ( on this side ) were driven over Lymerick bridge . The Lord President secured the sick and wounded Soldiers , with the baggage & carriages with a good guard at another Castle lately taken in , and marched with the Army homewards 2 , or 3. miles , and in the evening faced about and commanded a party of 600. Musqueteers , and as many Horse to march away and passe the River , and drew up the rest of the Army presently after to secure them , against any attempt .

The party that got over were disposed into several divisions and commanded severall wayes under those Officers that best knew the Country , Leivtenant Mathew Considen commanded one division towards Killallow , and having taken a prisoner in his march , hee ( to save his life ) discovreed where some Officers of quality were , upon the Lord Presidents Land called Bryens Bridge in Thomond , 6 myles from Lymrick wherupon he desisted from seeking after his prey , and early in the morning surrounded the place where they were , some of the Officers made shift to get on horse back , but finding no possibility of escaping , submitted themselves ; Among those Officers was a brother of the Lord Presidents , a Leivtenant Colonell of horse who being in France at the begining of the Rebellion , was thence inveigl'd by the Rebells for their assistance ; and his Lordship desires to send him to the Parliament , the rest of the party gained a prey of 8000 head of Cattell and at least 5000 sheepe ( the most part of them upon the Lands belonging to Briens bridge , ) with good plunder . The sheepe could not passe the River , and many of the Cattell by reason of the Woods thereabout , and their wildnesse by the losse of their Calves got away , but our Soldiers feasted themselves thereabouts , and brought away to our Garrisons neer two thousand head of Cattell , which is a great reliefe unto them , our unexpected getting over the Shannon strook such a terror into the Rebels of Thomond , that they burnt the Earle of Thomonds Castle of Bun●atty , which they had garrison'd .

The Lord President with the Army is now returned for a few dayes to refresh the Soldiers , who are generally barefoot and extreame naked , and he intends to march presently out againe towards the County of Tipperary , and the borders of Lemster , whereof Col. Iones hath the command , which is conceived to be of much more advantage to the service then any other course , aswell in spoyling the enemies quarters , as in diverting Prestons forces , which we heare are very strong in those parts towards Dublin .

In this six weeckes abiding in the field , the Soldiers had but six pound of bisquet and one pound of cheese for every Soldier that marched , but have made shift to live on what could be got in the Rebells quarters , where what we could not save , the Lo : President caused to bee burned , with many good Castles and all houses generally ; ( especially for some myles about the City Lymeruk ) to their great losse and dammage , computed by us at 80000 pound at the least , whereby they are much disabled from raising and supporting an Army , which they can very hardly make , unlesse they can procure Owen Roe Neale to come to their assistance , which they give out they have obtain'd , supposeing Preston wilbe able to answer all occasions in Lemster and Vlster , and the Conaught Rebells to defend themselves , they are to have a consultation shortly at Cashell ( as we heare ) about this affaire , which my Lord president is resolved to use all dilligence to interupt , In the meane time the forces in the Garrisons of Dungarvon , and Cappaquin with Lismore & Tallow which we gained in May last have marched under Leiv . Col. Michaell Byrne into Butlers Country in Typerary by order of the Lord President to make a diversion , and taken the Lord of Cahers Castle called Grace Castle ; stormed it , put the rogues to the sword & got a good prey of 1800 head of Cattell and Garrans or Horses with some store of sheepe and though many of them were lost and Embeziled , they brought home the most part of them to their Garisons with some good plunder , I cannot omit to acquaint you , in the County of Lymrick , we stormed & burned the Abby of Adare held by the Rebells where four friers were burned and three taken Prisoners , and also the Garrison of Owney belonging to the heires of Sr. Edmond Walsh , with a Castle belonging to one Mr. Fox where all that were within suffered death , save Fox himselfe , who was let down by a rope from the Battlements who is kept prisoner , and one desperate Rogue who leapt from the battlements , ( which few would have attempted ) hopeing to make an escape , but was Knocked on the head by our Soldiers : Thus God hath blessed us exceedingly in the field service , and had my Lord some more foote , with some money to encourage the Soldiers , and carriages which are extreamely wanting , and clothes and shooes , for the Souldiers , who are many of them almost naked , he would doubtlesse give the Parliament an account of this province beyond their expectation before this Winter passe , no man can do more then he doth , with the meanes he has , should he take any great and considerable Towns , it will requre so many men to Garis●● them , that our forces remaining , would not be , sufficient to keep us masters of the field , & they are such and so built , and lying on such Rivers that they ought to be kept when they are taken for the good of the service ; and cannot easily be demolisht , if we would , and therefore we hope God wil put it into the hearts of the parliament , to send over some necessary supplyes speedily to encourage us to proceed in the fin●shing of their work here , which no man can with more valour vigilance and fidelity intend , nor with more satisfaction to the whole Army then the Lord President doth who it hath pleas'd the Lord to make a happy instrument in this service . I crave your pardon for being thus prolix , and yet I have many things to acquaint you with , that all true English men that are lovers of their Country cannot be but well satisfied to heare seeing God workes so graciously for them , against these barbarous Rebells even when they can least attend it .